


Equivalent Exchanges

by asterismal (asterisms)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Courtship, M/M, Sirius Black Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23165341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterisms/pseuds/asterismal
Summary: Harry feels lightheaded. He feels as if he’s going to be sick.And yet…If he could end the war, isn’t it worth it?Voldemort proposes a courtship in exchange for the end of the war.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Voldemort, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Sirius Black & Harry Potter
Comments: 18
Kudos: 389
Collections: Problematic Ships Flash Fest





	Equivalent Exchanges

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Susurra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susurra/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Susurra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susurra/pseuds/Susurra) in the [March2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/March2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> There can never be enough courtship fics to satisfy me!  
> I’d like a courtship fic complete with gift giving and letter exchanging... official courtship steps would be nice but I don’t know enough about that to ask for anything specific.
> 
> Title and summary are subject to change. Future chapters will be longer :))

When Harry is called up to Dumbledore’s office one afternoon, he expects to see Dumbledore standing beside his pensive, pouring memories out of vials and ready to show him more scenes from Tom Riddle’s life.

Instead, he opens the door to see Dumbledore with his hands folded together before his mouth, staring intently down at a bundle of parchment in the center of his desk. Snape stands behind him, leaning back against the tower wall with a glower on his face.

And in the open space before Dumbledore’s desk, pacing, is—“Sirius!” Harry exclaims.

His godfather pauses mid-step, looking up with a grin, though he doesn’t seem as happy as he usually does to see him. “Harry,” he says as he sweeps Harry into a hug that squeezes the breath from his lungs. He pulls away, looking over him as if checking for injuries. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” Harry says, darting his gaze to Dumbledore, then Snape. “What are you doing here?”

Sirius lets out a heavy sigh. “Straight to business, hmm?” When Harry only nods, he sighs again. “Apparently, Voldemort has something to say to me.”

For a moment, Harry thinks he must have misheard. “What?”

“Here, sit down,” Sirius says instead of explaining. “You look pale; have you been sleeping? Getting enough to eat?”

“Sirius, I’m fine,” Harry says, waving him away when he attempts to guide Harry to a chair. “Why would Voldemort want to talk to you?”

“Because I’m your godfather,” he says as if that means something.

“Sirius,” Dumbledore says, and it sounds like a warning.

But Sirius only glares at Dumbledore. “Really?” he asks. “You want to keep this from him? Have you forgotten last year already?”

“Is that from Voldemort?” Harry asks, gesturing toward the parchment, stopping what is sure to be a heated argument before it can begin. “What’s it say?”

Sirius crosses his arms over his chest, waiting to hear the answer.

When Dumbledore takes too long to answer, Snape does it for him. “It’s an offer of courtship.”

Harry takes a startled breath. “A what,” he says, his voice faint.

Dumbledore sighs, then says, “Voldemort has proposed a courtship in exchange for an end to the war.”

Sirius stalks forward, snatching the parchment, the _courtship offer,_ off of Dumbledore’s desk before anyone can stop him. He flips through it, his eyes scanning the pages, expression growing darker with every word.

“Does he think we’re stupid?” he asks with a snarl, his grip on the pages so tight Harry worries for a moment that they’ll tear.

“No,” Dumbledore says, solemn, “He thinks we’re desperate, and we are.”

Sirius scoffs. “Not that desperate.”

“What is it?” Harry asks.

“Apparently,” Sirius tells him, voice terse, “Lord Voldemort, in his generosity, has offered to end the war for the small price of your complete submission to his every whim. In every way.”

“So…”

“He’d take you for a consort,” Snape says, “But instead of a partner, you would be, in essence, his property.”

Harry feels lightheaded. He feels as if he’s going to be sick.

And yet…

If he could end the war, isn’t it worth it?

“I’ll—"

“Stop,” Sirius says.

Harry looks at him, startled. “What? Sirius, I can do it.”

“Not like this.”

“But—"

 _“No,”_ Sirius tells him, voice firm, “We do this in a way that makes you equals, or we don’t do it at all.”

Harry shakes his head, feeling as if his heart might burst from his chest. “I can’t do that,” he says, “I can’t put myself above all those people.” When Sirius remains unmoved, he tries again. “I have the power to end this war right now, with no more bloodshed. I can’t say no to that.”

Sirius glares back at him.

“Then I’ll do it for you,” he says, turning back to Dumbledore. “He’s not doing it.”

Dumbledore sighs.

“You overestimate your worth, Sirius,” he says, and he almost sounds sorry. He takes the offer back. “If Harry is willing to do this, I say we must respect his decision. As Harry’s headmaster, _I_ can sign for him.”

Sirius bares his teeth, and no one believes for a second that it’s meant to be a smile. “Not if that snake-faced bastard wants it to be valid by the Old Laws,” he says. He leans forward across Dumbledore’s desk, glaring. “And judging by the proposal he sent, I’d say he wants it desperately.”

Harry is tired of everyone talking as if he isn’t in the room.

“I’m almost seventeen!” Harry says, “I can sign for myself.”

Sirius snorts. “No, you can’t.”

“I’ll be an adult in less than a year.”

“Sure,” Sirius says, careless, “According to modern law. But the laws Voldemort is relying on predate the Ministry. Until you’re twenty-five, you need a representative, and as your godfather, it happens to be me.”

“That’s bullshit.”

Sirius sighs. His glare softens, and he cradles Harry’s face between his palms. “It’s a gift,” he says.” Harry wants to hide away from the love he sees in his godfather’s face, but Sirius won’t let him. “Because it means I get to advocate for you when you won’t do it for yourself.”

Harry tries one last time.

“So you don’t care?” he asks, “You don’t care that thousands of people will die if I don’t do this?”

“Of course I care,” Sirius tells him, brushing one thumb over Harry’s cheek. He leans forward and kisses Harry’s brow. “But I care about you more.”


End file.
